'I feel bad when I see ladies going into prostitution'

‘Women shouldn't be dependent on their husbands’

Rose Odetayo is a businesswoman whose company manufactures disinfectants, insecticides and hand sanitisers. She is also into beautification of the environment, among other vocations. This chief executive officer of Magnificent Rose Global Ventures, an outfit that has been in existence for over a decade, is incidentally a widow.

Mrs Odetayo garnered much experience from the Nigerian Airports Authority, now Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria where she worked for several years before retiring. The loss of her husband has not deterred her from pursuing her ambition in life. When she started running her private company, she had some hurdles which she later overcame.

“When I started my company newly, it wasn't really easy. I had some financial challenges, transportation problems and inadequate members of staff. But I never gave up and after sometime I overcame my challenges. So, my advice to any woman who is starting up a business and she is experiencing some hiccups is to be persistent.  You shouldn't be discouraged. Don’t allow business challenges to break you down. Don’t give up! Continue with same zeal you used in starting up your business and you would see that with time you would pick up,” she counselled.

One thing that infuriates this amiable and light-skinned mother of two is that some young ladies are not hard working enough.

“I feel bad when I see young ladies going into prostitution because of the inability to sit, think and come up with good ideas of making money. Nothing on earth should lure you into prostitution.  Yes, I make bold to say that no situation whatsoever should lure a woman into selling her body. That to me is absolute rubbish. I could remember when I was a young girl, far before I got married. I used to be hard working. I continued working hard till I got married and my husband knew me to be hard working. He used to tell his friends then about how up and doing I was. While I was working, I was still doing my own business that was fetching me more money. Then, at the airport, I used to have seven working days and seven days off.  So, when I was off duty, I would travel out of the country to buy things for sale. I was making more money aside from my salary. I was never used to just sitting down and idling away my time. I was busy and was able to support my husband and contribute my own quota to my family. That didn't stop my husband from running the home as the head of the family but I wasn't just feeding fat on his money. I was up and doing and I suppose that is what every woman should do.

“It is wrong for a woman to just sit idle and feed fat on her hubby’s money. Do something! I always advise young girls to engage themselves meaningfully. For instance, the day my son brought his fiancée home, I also gave her the same advice.

Her son’s fiancée is into catering and hotel management.

“I remember the young lady said she didn't have working experience and that it had been hindering her somehow. I advised her to get herself employed so as to be experienced.  When a lady is hard working and making some money, she would be bold anywhere she sees herself. She would stand tall and won’t be molested by anyone because she is capable of handling some situations. Even to take care of herself would be easy. She wouldn't wait on her husband to give her money to buy stuffs for herself. Also, when there are some emergencies and her husband is not at home, she can confront the situation,” she emphasised.

Odutayo said it is because of the hapless situation some women find themselves that make them stay in marriages that are full of misery. In these relationships, they are battered, beaten and broken.

“Yes, it’s true. There is a case at hand where a lady is being verbally abused by her husband and she is still there because she is financially incapacitated. This is a young lady who is well read with a master’s degree but because she isn't up and doing, she can’t do anything. Today she is regretting it. You don’t have to keep your certificates in your file/drawer, not using them to do something meaningful for yourself and contribute positively to your society.

“What happened in her case was that her husband was rich and she never bothered herself about what to do to empower herself in case the money was no longer there.

“It’s always good  to  save for the rainy day. When things are rosy in your marriage, still get yourself prepared for eventualities by saving. The money may not be there all the time. Always think about the future and get prepared to tackle some unforeseen circumstances no matter how rich or wealthy your husband is. This is my piece of advice to every woman out there. Try and do something, know that money can suddenly develop wings and fly away but when you are prepared to prevent your family from such shame, your husband would be happy he has got  a good wife in you,” Mrs Odetayo advised.

By ADAEZE AMOS